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    <a href="../index.html">cppreference.com</a> &gt; <a href=
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  <div class="name-format">
    c_str
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  <div class="syntax-name-format">
    Syntax:
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  <pre class="syntax-box">
  #include &lt;string&gt;
  const char* c_str();
</pre>

  <p>The function c_str() returns a const pointer to a regular C
  string, identical to the current string. The returned string is
  null-terminated.</p>

  <p>Note that since the returned pointer is of type <a
  href="../keywords/const.html">const</a>, the character data that
  c_str() returns <strong>cannot be modified</strong>.  Furthermore,
  you do not need to call <a
  href="../stdmem/free.html">free()</a> or <a
  href="../keywords/delete.html">delete</a>
  on this pointer.</p>

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    Related topics:
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    <a href="string_operators.html">String operators</a><br>
    <a href="data.html">data</a>
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